Turnover table for vegetables and fruits



March 891927;

5. B. LINDLEY TURNOVER TABLE FOR VEGETABLES AND FRUITS,

Filed March 15, 1925,

INVENTOR. S-rnccf 3. L/NDLL'K ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 8, 1927. I

UNITED. STATES 1,620,217 Parana OFFICE.

STACEY B. LINDLEY, OF INDIANAPULIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNGR T O-TNDIANA CAN'NING MACHINERY COMPANY, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, IHZDIANA, A CORPORATION.

T-URNOVER TABLE F03 VEGETABLES AND FRUITS.

Application filed March 13, 1925. Serial No. 15,392.

This invention pertains to a sorting table for tomatoes, fruits, vegetables or the like, wherein they are sorted by the operators for defects which would render them unsuitable for certain purposes.

The principalobject of the invention is to provide a table comprising an endless belt or conveyor which, during the course of travel. of the tomatoes or the like, will cause the same vto be turned over, whereby both sides may be inspected. This enables one inspector to examine them on one side before they are carried to the point of turn over and thereafter they will be in a position to be examined by another inspector on the opposite side.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspec- 2 is a side elevationof a portion thereof showing the turn over mechanism.

In the drawings there is shown a table supported by the legs and provided with in under frame 11 and an upper frame comprising the side boards 12. Mounted on one end of said table there is a shaft 13 carrying the sprocket wheels 14 at each end thereof. At the opposite end of the table there is journaled a shaft 15 to which the driving sprockets 16 are keyed on each end thereof as well as a clutch member 17 which is adapted to clutch a power sprocket 18 when thrown into operative position by a clutch lever 19. The sprockets 16 are driven through the sprocket 18 and clutch 17 as well as the shaft 15 from any suitable source of power. Supported by the sprocket wheels 14 and 16 there is an-endless belt comprising the side or carrying chains 119 mounted about the respective sprocket wheels in the usual manner. Every other link in each of said chains is provided with outwardly extending ears 20 upon which the brackets 21 are pivot-ally mounted in position to carry the slats 22 which extend across the table from one end to the other end in horizontal relation to each other. Said slats, one lying flat upon the chain, as at the top of the table, are slightly spaced from each other, but not sufliciently to permit the tomatoes or the i like to pass therethrough. As the machine is driven, said tomatoes or the like are delivered to the right hand side of the endless carrier so to ride upon the slate and are carried thereby to the left hand end of the table from which they are discharged.

Substantially midway of the table and depending from each of the side boards 12 there is a bearing plate 25 having a shaft 2 1- journaled therein. Mounted upon said shaft and keyed thereto there is a driving sprocket 25 substantially in the center. Adjacent one end and keyed thereto there is astar wheel 26 provided with the'outward'ly projecting cam members 27. The sprocket 25 is driven through the medium of a driving chain 28 from a sprocket- 29 keyed upon the shaft 15. The slack of said chain is taken up by an idler sprocket 30 depending from the upper portion of the frame. Fulcrumed on the inner side of one of said bearing plates adjacent the star wheel and immediately below the side board 12 there is a bell crank lever 31 having a roller 32 on one end in position .to'ride upon the star wheel and be intermittently forced out wardly by the projecting cam members 27. The other arm of the bell crank lever terminates in a plate 38 having av roller 34 extending upwardly therefrom in position to engage one of the horizontal pivoted slats 22, as shown in Fig. 2.

In operation the rotation of the star wheel and the movement of the belt or carrier is so timed that as each slat passes over the position of the roller 34 on the bell crank lever, it is raised up by the action of the star wheel. so as to engage said slat and ti t it upwardly about its pivotal mounting 20. Guard plates 35 are positioned on each of the side boards 12 at the tilting position of the slats for limiting their upward move ment and causing them to drop back into horizontal position as well as preventthe tomatoes or the like which may ride near the ends from being thrown off the table. Immediately upon the bell crank engaging and tilting the slat, it drops back to the horizontal position by gravity and consequently permits the slat to promptly drop back and pass on in horizontal position under the guard Thereupon the next slat is similarly operated. This upwardly tilting movement of the slats throw the tomatoes or the like which may be riding thereon over on their opposite sides. Thus one inspector examining the tomatoes before they reached the tilting portion of the table, may readily observe one side thereof and the inspector at the other end of the table may observe the other side as they are passed alon The invention claimed is:

1. An endless conveyor for tomatoes, fruits or the like comprising a plurality of pivotally mounted slats for supporting and carrying the same, an actuating member, and means for operating said actuating member for causing said member to engage each of said slats and tilting the same and causing the articles carried by said conveyor to be turned over from one side to the other.

2. A sorting and inspecting table for tomatoes, fruits or the like, comprising a conveyor, a bell crank lever, and means for actuating said lever in timed relation with the movement of said conveyor for causing the articles carried by said conveyor to be turned over from one side to the other.

3. A sorting and inspecting table for tomatoes, fruits or the like, comprising a conveyor formed of a plurality of conveyor elements, a pivotally mounted bell crank lever, and means for actuating said bell crank lever in timed relation with the movement of said conveyor for causing said lever to engage and tilt each of said slats successively for turning over the articles carried thereby from one side to the other.

l. A sorting and inspecting table for to matoes, fruits or the like, comprising a conveyor formed of a plurality of conveyor elements, a pivotally mounted bell crank lever, a cam member, and means for actuating said cam member in timed relation with the movement of said conveyor for actuating 40 said bell crank lever and causing it to engage and elevate each of said slats successively for turning over the articles carried thereon from one side to the other.

5. A sorting and inspecting table for to-ee said cam member in timed relation with the movement of said conveyor for engaging said bell crank lever and causing it to engage and elevate each of said slats successively tor turning over the articles carried thereon from one side to the other, and means for limiting the movement of said slats from their horizontal position.

6. A sorting and inspecting table for tomatoes, fruits or the like, comprising a conveyor formed of a plurality of conveyor elements, a. pivotally mounted bell crank lever, a can member, means for actuating said cam member in timed relation with the movement oi said conveyor for actuating said bell crank lever and causing it to engage and elevate each of said slats successively for turning over the articles carried thereon from one side to the other, and a guard member mounted adjacent each end of said slats for limiting their movement and preventing said articles from being thrown off the conveyor.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto a'flixed my signature.

STACEY B. LINDLEY. 

